The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
As Drury canters to win
Central AC's Morag MacLarty won the senior women's title for the first time at Lindsay's Scottish cross country championships at Falkirk on Saturday while Metro Aberdeen featured among the team medals for the first time in the club's history.
MacLarty competed the testing 10km route in 38min 32sec to finish well clear of Rio Olympian Beth Potter (VP Glasgow) who had to settle for silver in 39:39 with Sarah Inglis (Lothian) third in 39:50.
It was an impressive performance from the former Great Britain junior international who has suffered from more than her share of injuries over the years.
MacLarty said: “I wouldn’t want to say it was easy, but I’m pleasantly surprised at how far ahead I was.
“I’m so happy. It’s been a long time.
“The past few years have been so tough, but I train at Central and the group I’m with there is absolutely amazing. I’ve missed a lot with injuries but the highs in this sport do make up for the lows.
“I’ve never won it as a senior, so it is special and it’s come off a healthy winter and a good season.”
MacLarty also led Central AC to team gold while Inverness athlete Mhairi Maclennan, who finished ninth in 40:43 was in the Edinburgh University side which pocketed the silver awards.
Fiona Brian, 11th in 41:02, led Metro Aberdeen to the bronze medals with backing from Kayleigh Jarrett (14th, 41:28), Ginie Barrand (23rd, 42:43) and Claire Bruce (42nd, 44:23). It couldn't have been closer, however, as Metro tied for third spot on 90 points with VP Glasgow.
The Aberdeen side got the verdict as their fourth scorer, Bruce, finished ahead of VP Glasgow's last counter.
North champion Anna Macfadyen was beaten into second position by VP Glasgow's Gillian Black in the under-20 women's 6.8km race.
The 17-year-old Forres Harriers athlete completed the route in 25:36 to finish 13sec behind her rival and 21sec ahead of bronze medallist Sarah Dempsey (Kilbarchan AAC).
Aberdeen AAC's Anisha Badial was seventh in 28:54 while Deeside's Orienteering international Jenny Glass, 19th in 31:45, was part of the Edinburgh University side which picked up team silvers behind Kilbarchan A.
Naomi Lang (Aberdeen AAC) and Clare Stewart (Banchory Stonehaven AC) had to settle for silver and bronze behind Giffnock North's Erin Wallace in a quality under-17 girls' race.
Lang has defeated Stewart to win the East District title in December while Stewart got the better of both Wallace and Lang to take top spot in last month's inter-district race at Edinburgh's Holyrood park.
But the Giffnock North runner proved too strong for the north-east athletes on this occasion, completing the 5.9km course in 23:56 to finish 12sec clear of Lang with Stewart a further 13sec behind in third position.
Emma Swanson (Banchory Stonehaven AC) was fourth in the under-13 girls' 3.2km, recording 12:12 behind Fife AC's Anna Hedley, who won in 11:16.
“The highs in this sport do make up for the lows”